How do I split or merge my Blackboard course?

As of Summer 2025, Blackboard shells will be created for all courses listed in the UMBC Schedule of Classes (SOC), regardless of designation as lecture, lab, etc or instructor assignment.

Please submit your Blackboard Course Merge or Removal Request form at least one week before the semester starts. Merge requests cannot be processed after the 10th day of the semester.

Merged courses use a separate course shell.
Please add content to your Blackboard course shell after the merge request is processed.

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Course Merge

A course merge allows instructors to combine enrollments for multiple course sections into a single Blackboard course shell. All elements of the course (announcements, roster, gradebook, content) are combined in a single course shell. Instructors may filter the Gradebook based on the associated “child” sections in the merge. Once a merge is completed, instructors will not have access to the separate Blackboard shells that have been merged.

Course Copy

A course copy allows instructors to duplicate content from one Blackboard course shell to a separate course shell. The Blackboard course shells remain distinct, with unique announcements, rosters, gradebooks, and content, with the exception of any content that has been copied. Changes made in one course do not impact changes in other course shells.

Instructors who teach multiple sections of the same course will see a separate Blackboard course shell for each section or course component.

Courses that are crosslisted or combined are merged in Blackboard by default (e.g. BIOL 425 / BIOL 625).

The following course types are no longer merged in Blackboard by default:

Multiple sections of the same course taught by the same instructor (e.g. 2 sections of AGNG 100)
Courses with multiple components (e.g. Lecture with discussions)

Instructors planning to use split shells for these course types will no longer need to submit an RT request.

Request a Merge

Course shells may be merged upon request via the Blackboard Course Merge or Removal Request form, which we recommend submitting at least one week before the semester starts, if not as soon as courses are created in Blackboard. NOTE: Courses should not be merged or split after student grade data and engagement activity is recorded since it will be purged as part of the split/merge process.

Access the request form (myUMBC credentials required)
Select the form request type, either to “merge” or “remove” courses.
Select the courses to be merged or course(s) to be removed. A “merge courses” request must include 2 or more courses. A “remove courses” request must include at least 1 course. The course list is displayed based on data from the Schedule of Classes. If the course list is incorrect, please confirm the information in the Schedule of Classes or consult with your scheduling coordinator.
Add additional comments or notes and submit your form.
A confirmation box will appear for you to approve the submission. Select “Ok” to proceed. Select “Cancel” to return to the form.
A confirmation page will appear to note that an RT request has been generated. You may access the RT request to provide additional notes or to track the status of your request. Please allow at least 1 business day for processing.
Please submit a new form for additional merge or remove course requests.

If course sections contain enrollments that would be duplicative across sections (e.g. CHEM 101 lecture and CHEM 101 discussion), then the sections cannot be merged. In this case, an instructor has several options:

Use the lecture and opt to remove the discussion/lab shells
Merge the discussion/lab shells into a parent shell and opt to remove the lecture shell
Use the lecture shell and a separate merged shell for the discussion/lab sections
Remove shells not planned for use

Please submit the the Blackboard Course Merge or Removal Request form. Select the “remove” option when submitting the form.